The History Of Marijuana

Marijuana has been used to achieve euphoria for several millenia. It was firstly described around the year 2800 before Christ, in some Chinese medical texts. Slowly but surely, marijuana has spread to India, Africa, and it has eventually reached Europe 1500 years ago. In this article you will find detailed information about marijuana-an ancient history.

Early Times

The Chinese emperor Shen Nung is the first one to describe cannabis, around 2800 BC. As many of you already know, marijuana was initially used for medicinal purposes only - it was highly effective for treating rheumatism, malaria and even lack of focus. The side effects of marijuana were known back then - even so, the plant was considered to have precious medicinal properties, and they were simply ignored. If the Chinese people used the plant to treat various diseases and conditions, in India it was mainly used for recreational purposes.

Marijuana Becomes Popular

In the 16th century, the Spanish people have brought marijunana to America for the first time. Soon after that, it has become a popular ingredient in many patent medicines - even so, these particular medicines contained a small percentage of the drug, compared to cocain or opium, which were considered to be far more effective. Marijuana has become popular at the beginning of the 20th century (around the 1920s), as its recreational use was no longer a secret for anybody. Having said that, marijuana was used by famous actors and singers, as well as by people from the business industry. Soon after that, marijuana clubs have emerged in some of the largest cities across the teritory of the USA. Back then, it was not illegal because people were not fully aware of the side effects of marijuana, and nobody considered this mild drug to be a threat to society.

Marijuana Becomes Illegal

Several years later, marijuana was declared illegal under the well-known Harrison Act. In a nutshell, this tax regulated the use of coca-derived drugs and it added various taxes on drugs that weren't used for medical purposes. Those who used recreational drugs without paying the tax was severely punished, and this resulted in a decline regarding the use of marijuana at the beginning of the 20th century. By 1940, half of the US states have declared marijuana illegal. The Government at that time has declared marijuana illegal, if used for non-medical purposes. People were allowed to use it to treat conditions and relieve pain, but the use as a recreational drug was strictly prohibited.

Medical Marijuana Emerges

Having said that, marijuana was criminalized and those who used it for recreational purposes were harshly penalized - with a small exception during WW II. One decade later, the Boggs Act and the Narcotics Control Act have passed. These particular acts claimed that those who use and distribute marijuana for non-medical purposes should be sentenced to prison. After that, the marijuana-related drugs have started to become softer until the 1970s. California was the first American state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, 16 years ago (in 1996). Soon after that, other stated have also legalized it for the same purpose. Even though this decision has helped those who need to relieve pain associated with various diseases and conditions, this has lead to several hundred illegal marijuana shops in the major cities across the stated that legalized it.

As stated above, marijuana was initially for medical purposes, and it aimed to treat nausea, rheumatism, labor pains and such. Until the 1930s, people were not fully aware of the addictive character and the side effects associated with the use of marijuana. After that, various campaigns were conducted by the Government to warn the population about the adverse reactions of marijuana abuse.

Despite the fact that there are several drugs which are known for their potential in the medical world, use of marijuana for recreational purposes is strictly prohibited. The use of marijuana was so extended several decades ago, that the Mexican government took safety measures to prevent the distribution of the drug. Colombia was known as the most important supplier at that time. Slowly but surely, the US Government has passed strict laws and mandatory sentences for all those who possess and distribute the drug. The use of marijuana for recreational has declined over the past 20 years.

To summarize, this is a short history of marijuana and its use, since ancient times until present. If it was widely used in the past, now it is strictly prohibited.